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Properties of balance: A pendulum effect in corporate entrepreneurship

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  • Morris, Michael H.
  • van Vuuren, Jurie
  • Cornwall, Jeffrey R.
  • Scheepers, Retha

Abstract

Organizations tend to evolve in ways that are inherently resistant to entrepreneurship. Yet, entrepreneurship is instrumental for ensuring the long-term sustainability of any enterprise. The key to maintaining relatively high levels of entrepreneurship within a company lies in understanding the basic nature of the entrepreneurial experience, recognizing the inherent entrepreneurial potential of all employees, and creating work climates that allow employees to act on that potential. Five primary design elements are identified for facilitating such climates. Underlying these design elements is a set of seemingly conflicting properties. The challenge to companies is to achieve a balance between these properties whereby they are allowed to co-exist. Approaches to implementing this balance are addressed herein.

Suggested Citation

  • Morris, Michael H. & van Vuuren, Jurie & Cornwall, Jeffrey R. & Scheepers, Retha, 2009. "Properties of balance: A pendulum effect in corporate entrepreneurship," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 429-440, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:52:y:2009:i:5:p:429-440
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Deryck J Van Rensburg, 2015. "The Promise of Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Review of Data Analytic Strategies," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 4(1), pages 59-73, March.
    3. Elia, Gianluca & Margherita, Alessandro, 2018. "Assessing the maturity of crowdventuring for corporate entrepreneurship," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 271-283.
    4. Uy, Marilyn A. & Foo, Maw-Der & Ilies, Remus, 2015. "Perceived progress variability and entrepreneurial effort intensity: The moderating role of venture goal commitment," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 375-389.
    5. Umair Ahmed & Waheed Ali Umrani & Umer Zaman & Sheraz Mustafa Rajput & Tariq Aziz, 2020. "Corporate Entrepreneurship and Business Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(4), pages 21582440209, November.
    6. Jing Xia & Wei Liu & Sang-Bing Tsai & Guodong Li & Chien-Chi Chu & Kai Wang, 2018. "A System Dynamics Framework for Academic Entrepreneurship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-25, July.

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